Foldable mop with compressible scrubbing elements



Aug. 1, 1961 A. F. FUNGAROLI FOLDABLE MOP WITH COMPRESSIBLE SCRUBBINGELEMENTS Filed Nov. 24, 1959 ATTORNEY United States Patent 2,994,097FOLDABLE MOP WITH 'COMPRESSIBLE SCRUBBING ELEMENTS Anthony F. Fungaroli,Northampton, Mass. Filed Nov. 24, 1959, Ser. No. 855,189 4 Claims. (Cl.15119) The invention relates to new and useful improvements in a mopdevice, and is directed more'particularly to improvements in means forwringing the sponge mop element of a mop device.

The principal objects of the invention are directed to the provision ofa mop device wherein a sponge mop element is carried by relativelyswingable main plates arranged to apply a wringing action to the mopelement.

As one feature of the invention, extension plates are slidable outwardlyon plates which carry the mop element so as to substantially enclose themop element in a wringing operation, thereby readily and easilyobtaining a thorough wringing of the element.

As another feature of the invention, the mop element is formed with agroove on the lower side thereof which facilitates the doubling up ofthe side portions of the mop element during the wringing so as toenhance the wringing operation, said groove having longitudinal edgeswhich together with the longitudinal outer side edges of the mop elementprovide a greater number of edges for mopping operations than hasheretofore been possible.

A further feature of the invention is the provision of means forwringing the mop element while same is submerged in water, all withoutthe necessity of the hands of the user being placed in the water.

Various novel features and advantages of the invention will be observedfrom the following description of the presently preferred form thereof.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an end elevational view of a mop embodying the novel featuresof the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing the components of the mop inthe mop element wringing relation;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an end portion of one of the extensionplates of the mop structure; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view on the line 44 of FIG. 1.

Referring now to the drawings more in detail, the novel features of theinvention will be described.

A pair of similar elongated side plates have upper portion 2 which arehinged at 4 for relative swinging, and

longitudinally extending side portions 6 which extend angularlyoutwardly away from the respective upper portions 2.

Extension plates 8 on outer sides of the side portions 6 have oppositeends 10 turned inwardly, see FIG. 3, which receive opposite ends of saidside portions 6 so that the plates 8 may slide on the plate portions 6outwardly from the positions shown in FIG. 1 to the extended positionsof FIG. 2. Outer longitudinal edges of the plates 8 are curved outwardlyat 9, as shown.

Ears 12 are provided on opposite ends of the plate portions 6 and otherears 14 are provided on opposite ends of the extension plates 8.Elongated links 16 at opposite ends of the plates each have one endpivoted to an ear 12 of one plate portion 2, and an opposite end pivotedto an ear 14, and cross one another, as shown.

An elongated mop element 18 has upper portions secured to inner sides ofthe side portions 6. Said mop may be formed from cellulose spongematerial, and may be secured to said side plates by suitable adhesivematerial, or it may be secured to the plates which in turn are screwconnected to inner faces of the side plates, should same be desired.

The mop element may be of six, eight, ten inches or ice whatever may bedesired in length, and the side plates will be such as to accommodatethe mop element desired.

Opposite longitudinal side portions 22 of the mop element 18 projectdownwardly relative to the plate portions 6, in open position thereof,for the mopping operation, as shown in FIG. 1.

The mop element 18 is provided with a longitudinal groove 20, in theform of an inverted V, between opposite side portions 22 thereof, as inFIG. 1.

The V groove not only permits the side portions 22 to be broughttogether during a wringing operation, but also provides additionallongitudinal edges 24, which are in addition to the outer edges 26, fora more eflicient mopable handle 36 is provided on the outer end of saidrod' A spring clip 38 is secured to the fitting 28 in any suitablemanner, as shown in FIG. 4, and the rod 34 is releasably receivabletherein to hold the side plates in the open position thereof, as shownin FIG. 1.

As before stated, in the open position of the side plates of FIG. 1, andwith the mop element wet to the desired extent, the lower face of theelement may be moved back and forth over the surface to be mopped. Thelongitudinal edges 24 and 26 of the mop element function for anelficient mopping operation.

When it is desired to wring the mop element, the handles 30 and 36 aregripped by the hands, and the rod 34 is swung away from the handle 30 toswing the side plate to which the rod is secured, toward the other sideplate.

As the side plates are swung toward one another, the link connectionsbetween the extension plates 8 and side plate portions 6 are such thatsaid extension plates 8 are propelled outwardly relative to the plateportions 6 so as to overlie the outer sides of the portions 22 of themop element whereby the mop element is squeezed between the plates forthe wringing of said element.

The V groove permits the mop element to be doubled upon itself so thatthe mop element is substantially enclosed by the side and extensionplates for the efiicient wringing of the rnop element.

The mop element may be readily and easily rinsed in a pail of water bysubmerging it in the water, and by swinging the rod 34 relative to thehandle 30. Such may be accomplished all without the user immersingeither hand in the water.

The ability of the mop element to be doubled upon itself by the sideplates makes thorough wringing of the element possible with a minimum ofeffort on the part of the user.

The extension plates are automatically and positively extended as theside plates are swung together for a wringing operation, and areretracted as said plates are moved apart for a mopping operation.

Without further analysis, the foregoing is intended to so fully revealthe gist of my invention that others can, by applying current knowledge,readily adapt it for various applications without omitting featureswhich, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essentialcharacteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention,and therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to becomprehended within the meaning range of equivalence of the claimsbelow.

Accordingly, limitation of this invention should be made only asdetermined by a proper interpretation of the terms used in the subjoinedclaims. a

. What it is desired to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

a l. A mop construction comprising in combination, a pair of elongatedside plates having upper portions and side portions extending angularlyoutwardly therefrom, said upper portions being relatively hingedlongitudinally thereof for swinging of the side portions from outer openposition and inner wringing position and relatively diverging downwardlyin said outer open position, an elongated manually engageable handlesecured to and extending from the upper portion of one side plate and anoperating rod secured to and extending from the side portion of theother side plate, means for releasably holding said handle and rod inopen position of the side portions of the side plates, a mop elementhaving upper side portions secured to inner portions of the side platesand opposite longitudinal side portions extending downwardly from loweredges of the side portions of said side plates, extension plates guidedby said side portions of the side plates for sliding between innerretracted positions and extended positions outwardly of outer edges ofthe side portions of the side plates, and means propelling the extensionplates to extended position to overlie side portions of the mop elementas the side portions of the side plates are swung in element wringingdirection.

2. A mop construction as set forth in claim 1 wherein said propellingmeans includes links at opposite ends of said side plates pivotallyconnected to the side portions thereof and said extension plates.

3. A mop construction as set forth in claim 1 wherein said mop elementis provided on the underside thereof with a longitudinal inverted Vgroove provided with transversely spaced longitudinal lower edges.

4. A mop construction comprising in combination, a pair of elongatedside plates, said plates having upper portions hingedly connected forswinging from relatively open position towards one another in wringingdirection, said side plates diverging relatively outwardly from saidhinged connection, a mop element having upper portions secured to innersides of said side plates and side portions thereof extending outwardlybeyond outer longitudinal edges of said side plates, extension'platesslidable on said side plates from inner positions thereover and outerextended positions, a pair of links at opposite ends of said sideplates, the links of the pairs thereof each having one end pivotallyconnected to the extension of the other side plate, an elongated handlesecured to one side plate and a rod secured to the other side plate,means releasably holding said rod and handle in adjacency in openposition of the side plates and being separable to efiect relativeswinging of the side plates from open position in mop element wringingdirection whereby said extension plates are propelled by said linksoutwardly beyond said side plates to overlie and act on side portions ofsaid mop element.

No references cited.

